Comments Off on A 1940s home gets an energy-efficient renovation for $250K

When the homeowners of a small, Cape Cod-style home in Arlington Heights, Illinois wanted extra room for their growing family, they turned to DII Architecture for help. The design/build firm not only added a second floor, but also oversaw a complete revamp of the ground floor. Conceived with a modern farmhouse aesthetic, the Wilke House is now flooded with natural light and features an airy, spacious interior that’s more energy-efficient than before thanks to a new suite of low-energy additions. Located on a large three-quarter-acre lot, the 2,150-square-foot home was refreshed with new white siding and a roof clad in Owens Corning shingles . The original Cape Cod attic was demolished and replaced with a new second floor with room for a double-height dining and meeting area that can be seen from above thanks to a new catwalk, which has Feeney DesignRail railings. Although the budget didn’t allow for a standing seam metal roof, the Wilke House makes its modern farmhouse influences evident through the material palette of warm woods matched with crisp white paint, extruded window elements, and indoor daylighting. “This project has quite a few sustainable elements,” says DII Architecture. “During the demo phase, we preserved as much of the first floor as possible, included old nominal 2×4 studs and white oak flooring. Low VOC paints were used throughout the home as well as LED bulbs. Energy Star appliances were also implemented. Lastly, Low-E windows [with] argon were used for the whole house.” Related: Crusty old Swiss barn transformed into a modern solar-powered home The renovated home, completed for $250,000 in 2016, offers bedrooms for the family’s two kids as well as a guest bedroom for when grandparents and friends visit. The large lot was preserved to provide an outdoor play area for the family’s children and dog. All second-floor rooms feature vaulted ceilings to help create the illusion of more space. + DII Architecture Images by Black Olive Photographic

Comments Off on Philips to install LED streetlights in Poland for a 70 percent energy savings

Click here to view the embedded video. Philips Lighting just announced that they were selected to conduct a massive overhaul of over 5,000 streetlights in Poland’s historic “floating garden” city of Szczecin. The city plans to replace over half its streetlights with LEDs , which will be connected through a remote management system to control brightness and provide automatic alerts as to when bulbs must be replaced. All told, the LEDs will provide energy savings of 70 percent, and reduce the city’s costs by EUR 360,000 (just shy of $400k) each year. Read the rest of Philips to install LED streetlights in Poland for a 70 percent energy savings Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: “energy efficiency” , citytouch , green infrastructure , green lighting , LED , LEDs , Philips , philips lighting , Poland , retrofit , Smart Cities , street light , streetlights , szczcein

Comments Off on This virtual mouse brain could help end animal testing forever

Animal testing is a much-maligned practice in the development of medicines and cosmetics, but many companies are hanging on to lab mice because they lack an adequate alternative. But now, researchers at the Human Brain Project have developed a simulated mouse that can help us learn the results of animal testing without actually harming any living creatures. This virtual mouse could help save hundreds of thousands of rodent lives, specifically by replacing live mice in medical testing arenas. Read the rest of This virtual mouse brain could help end animal testing forever Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: animal testing , animals in medical research , cruelty-free alternatives to animal testing , medical research on animals , software for animal testing , testing on mice , virtual mouse , virtual mouse brain

Comments Off on Can You Believe This Gorgeous Puerto Rican School Building Was Abandoned for More Than 20 Years?

Before Puerto Rican architecture firm Díaz Paunetto Arquitectos were commissioned to refit this annex building at the Guardería Ecológica La Mina in Corozal, it had been abandoned for more than 20 years and was gradually being reclaimed by vegetation. But with the school’s ecological commitment, it was determined to salvage the building’s structure rather than simply demolish it. The result – a stunning transformation inspired by the surrounding stands of bamboo – is a multipurpose meeting and teacher training facility , with loads of handy storage space and sparkling with multicolored, filtered light. And most incredible of all? The whole project was completed in just six months. READ MORE > Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: Architecture , bamboo , colored glass , Corozal , Díaz Paunetto Arquitectos , Guardería Ecológica La Mina , Inhabitots , Puerto Rican school building abandoned for 20 years , puerto rico , refit , retrofit , school , school building , steel cladding

Comments Off on Transbay Center: San Francisco is Building the Future of Public Transportation Beneath a 5.4-Acre Rooftop Park

$1.9 billion; 1.5 million square feet; 45 million passengers each year: this is the future of public transportation . When it is completed in 2017, San Francisco’s Transbay Transit Center will be the “Grand Central Station of the West Coast,” connecting eight Bay Area counties and the state of California with a total of 11 transit systems – all sheltered beneath a 5.4 acre rooftop park. The modern transit hub is targeting LEED Gold certification with rainwater and greywater recycling systems, natural lighting and ventilation, and an extensive geothermal system – and it will be located just steps away from one of the West Coast’s tallest skyscrapers. Inhabitat recently had a chance to take a behind-the-scenes look at this historic project – so put on your hard hat and hit the jump! Read the rest of Transbay Center: San Francisco is Building the Future of Public Transportation Beneath a 5.4-Acre Rooftop Park Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: geothermal , grand central station of the west coast , Green Building , green roof , LEED gold , public transportation , rainwater recycling , Recycled Materials , rooftop park , San Francisco , Sustainable Building , tallest skyscraper , tjpa , transbay terminal , Transbay Transit Center , transit center